India's win 'proudest moment' for Kohli

India's Virat Kohli kisses the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he celebrates their series win over Australia after play was called off on day 5 of their cricket test match in Sydney, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019. The match is a draw and India wins the series 2-1.(RICK RYCROFT/AP)

For the first time in 71 years, India’s national team will have something to declare at customs on its return home from Down Under. It will be that beautiful, shiny Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India started visiting Australia in 1947-48, just after gaining independence, and it was always the same story — good fight but no cigar and nothing to declare.

Not this time.

Virat Kohli went where no other Indian captain or team has ventured before by pulling off a 2-1 victory in the four-Test series. And it should have been 3-1 with India in the driver’s seat in the final encounter in Sydney that ended in a draw.

India piled on a massive 622 and, after dismissing the Baggy Greens for 300, Kohli went for the jugular by making Australia follow on, the first time in 30 years it has had to face this ignominy at home. Australia was on six without loss in the second knock and staring at an innings defeat. India had hoped to crown its greatest overseas achievement in bright sunshine and in front of thousands of fans; instead its historic triumph was played out before near-empty stands as a result of that steady drizzle that refused to let up all day.

It literally rained on India’s parade, but it will be a moment that won’t ever be forgotten by a billion Indian fans.

Most of the credit for India being transformed from road kill to champion travelers goes to King Kohli, as he is dubbed by his myriad of fans.

In the last 12 months he methodically cobbled a squad of dependent batsmen, all-round bowlers and by far the best Indian fielding side ever.

The team’s progress began in South Africa, where India put up a decent fight before moving on to England where it was humiliated 4-1.

“This journey started in South Africa and continued to England,’’ said Kohli. “We knew what was required of us to win in Australia, which was going to be the toughest. In the 10 years that I have played, it is the proudest moment that I have experienced and I am so happy for the whole team.”

Players who stood out for India were No. 3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, pace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Shami, and newcomer Mayank Agarwal, who grabbed his chance with scores of 77 and 76 in his two Tests.

Then there was Rishabh Pant’s tremendous 159 not out to stake his claim as his country’s top Test wicketkeeper.

But the player who was most responsible for this triumph was Pujara, who could occupy the crease until Easter if he put his mind to it. He hammered three centuries, including 193 off 373 deliveries in Sydney.

In the four-match series the 30-year-old was at the crease for 1,702 minutes, or 28 hours and 22 minutes, and faced 1,258 deliveries, the most by an Indian batsman, surpassing Rahul Dravid’s 1,203 balls in 2003-04 series.

In all, India posted five centuries with Pant and Kohli accounting for the other two, while no Aussie came close to three figures.

The 25-year-old Bumrah, the world’s best one-day bowler, topped the bowling averages with a haul of 21 wickets from a record 157.1 overs – the most by any quick in the series.

Australia was thoroughly outplayed, and it’s doubtful if Steve Smith and David Warner — the two suspended for cheating — would have made any difference. The only Aussies who came away with their reputations intact were fast bowler Pat Cummins, who looked threatening in the four matches and finished with 14 wickets, while spinner Nathan Lyon cashed 21 wickets.

DU PLESSIS SITS OUT

Faf du Plessis won’t be in his whites for South Africa’s final Test against Pakistan at Johannesburg’s Wanderers ground on Friday.

He was slapped with a one-match ban for over-rate infringement in the second Test in Cape Town.

This was surprising, as the Test ended on the fourth day with the Proteas strolling to an embarrassingly easy nine-wicket triumph after it was set a meagre 41 runs for victory.

Pakistan was bundled out for 177 and 294, while the home team hoisted 431 thanks to du Plessis striking a superb 103.

Ironically, du Plessis was named man of the match and apart from the suspension, he was slapped with a 20% fine for the infringement.

Du Plessis can’t really be blamed for the ban, as the South African brain trust loaded the team with a four-pronged pace attack with no spinners. And the fearsome foursome of Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, and Duanne Olivier played havoc with the Pakistanis.

SRI LANKA THUMPED

New Zealand completed a 3-0 ODI series sweep over visiting Sri Lanka in Nelson on Tuesday.

The Black Caps piled on a massive 364 for four and then bundled out the visitors for 249 for a 115-run victory. Veteran Ross Taylor and up-and-coming star Henry Nicholls both reached three figures, with Taylor smashing 137 and Nicholls 124 off only 80 balls.

Thisara Perera, who hammered 140 in the second ODI, starred again with 80 off 63 balls.